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Innovation Platform Agency, Japan (IPA)

Information Technology Passport Examination (IP)

The Information Technology Passport Examination (IP) is one category of the Information Technology Engineers Examination, the national examination administered by the Innovation Platform Agency, Japan (IPA). It is aimed at people who use IT in their work, whatever their job function. The paper asks 100 short questions drawn from three fields: Strategy, which covers corporate and legal affairs, business strategy and system strategy; Management, which covers IT management; and Technology, which covers IT technology. The examination is delivered by computer-based testing (CBT) throughout the year and lasts 120 minutes. Results are not decided on raw marks: IPA converts a candidate's answers into scaled scores using item response theory (IRT). A pass requires a total scaled score of 600 or more, together with a field score of 300 or more in each of the three fields. There are no eligibility requirements, so anyone may sit the examination, and a pass has no expiry date.

Official page

Who takes it

  • People in any occupation who use IT in their work, including non-IT roles such as sales, administration and planning
  • People who need to show objectively how far their basic IT knowledge reaches, for new-employee training or pre-hire education
  • Students outside information science departments who want public proof of basic IT knowledge before job hunting
  • People who want to build the base of the syllabus before moving on to higher categories such as the Fundamental Information Technology Engineer Examination or the Information Security Management Examination

What it lets you do

  • It is a category of the Information Technology Engineers Examination, so a pass counts as a pass in a national examination. IPA states explicitly that a pass has no expiry date and that past passes do not become invalid.
  • Because the syllabus spans Strategy, Management and Technology, people outside IT departments can work through the range they actually use at work in an organised way.
  • Field scores are calculated, so candidates learn not only whether they passed but which of the three fields is weak, expressed as a score.
  • It is delivered by CBT throughout the year, so candidates pick their own exam date and venue to match how far their study has progressed.
  • The syllabus is organised within the Common Career/Skill Framework, which makes it straightforward to carry the study forward into higher categories such as the Information Security Management Examination and the Fundamental Information Technology Engineer Examination.

The exam

As published by Innovation Platform Agency, Japan (IPA). Anything we could not confirm is left out. Check the official page before you apply.

Questions
100 questions (short multiple-choice). The overall score is calculated from 92 of them; the remaining 8 are used to evaluate questions for future examinations.
Time
120 minutes
Pass mark
A total scaled score of 600 or more out of 1,000, together with field scores of 300 or more in Strategy, 300 or more in Management and 300 or more in Technology (each out of 1,000). Scaled scores are calculated from the answers using item response theory (IRT).
Fee
JPY 7,500 (consumption tax included)
Format
CBT. Multiple choice, four options per question.
Languages
Japanese
When it runs
Delivered by CBT throughout the year. Candidates choose a date and a venue from test centres nationwide when they apply.
Validity and renewal
No expiry. IPA states explicitly that a pass has no expiry date and that past passes do not become invalid.

How hard it is

In FY2025 (Reiwa 7) there were 307,266 applicants, 271,352 candidates and 132,012 passes, a pass rate of 48.6% (published by IPA). The examination is decided on IRT-based scaled scores rather than raw marks, and the sticking point is that a candidate has to clear the 300-point field minimum in all three fields, not just the overall 600.

How long people study

Not published by the exam body. IPA does not state an expected study time. Commercial study guides commonly cite a rough figure of about 100 to 180 hours, but that is not a figure published by the exam body.

Syllabus

  • Strategy (Corporate and Legal Affairs, Business Strategy, System Strategy)About 35 questions / 32 count toward the field score
  • Management (Development Technology, Project Management, Service Management)About 20 questions / 18 count toward the field score
  • Technology (Basic Theory, Computer System, Technology Element)About 45 questions / 42 count toward the field score

Our apps and books for this exam

  • IT Passport Goukaku Taisaku Drill

    Japanese only

    IT Passport Examination (IPA, Japan) practice drills

    This app's interface and questions are in Japanese.

    Download on the App Store

Questions people ask

If I reach 600 on the total score, am I certain to pass?
No. On top of a total scaled score of 600 or more, you need field scores of 300 or more in Strategy, Management and Technology (each out of 1,000). Falling below 300 in even one field is a fail.
Are all 100 questions marked?
No. The examination outline states that the overall score is calculated from 92 of the 100 questions, and that the remaining 8 are used to evaluate questions for future examinations. Candidates are not told which 8 they are.
If I answer 60 questions correctly, does that make 600 points?
It does not. Scaled scores are calculated from the answers using item response theory (IRT), so the number of correct answers and the scaled score are not in simple proportion. This is not an examination you can judge with the usual 'get 60% right' rule of thumb.
When is the examination held, and how do I apply?
It is delivered by CBT throughout the year. You choose a date and a venue from the openings at test centres nationwide and apply for that slot. There are no fixed spring and autumn sittings.
Does a pass expire? Is renewal needed?
No. IPA states that a pass has no expiry date and that past passes do not become invalid. There is no renewal system.

Sources

These are the pages the figures came from. Some are published in Japanese only, and are marked as such — we keep the original titles rather than translating them, so you can match what you find on the official site. Exam rules change; check the official page before you apply.

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